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Find MMA Training Facilities & Mixed Martial Arts GymsFri, 14 Oct 2016 08:41:21 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.0Can Anyone Stop Brock Lesnar??http://www.mmatraining.com/featured/can-anyone-stop-brock-lesnar/
http://www.mmatraining.com/featured/can-anyone-stop-brock-lesnar/#commentsMon, 05 Jul 2010 15:58:12 +0000http://www.mmatraining.com/?p=2886Saturday night was a coming out party for Brock Lesnar at UFC 116 in Las Vegas. Not that we didn’t know who he was before. The giant 6’3 265 lbs ball of muscle is hard to miss. But what we saw from Lesnar on Saturday was a thrilling come from behind victory and a shout out to the […]

Saturday night was a coming out party for Brock Lesnar at UFC 116 in Las Vegas. Not that we didn’t know who he was before. The giant 6’3 265 lbs ball of muscle is hard to miss. But what we saw from Lesnar on Saturday was a thrilling come from behind victory and a shout out to the entire MMA world that there is no quit in Brock Lesnar and he will be extremely difficult to beat.

In round 1 of their heavyweight title fight, Shane Carwin hit Lesnar hard with a barrage of punches and the referee was seconds away from stopping the fight on numerous occasions. Lesnar was being mauled by the similar sized Carwin only to escape the round, and the pounding for an easy 10-8 loss.

In round 2 it was all Lesnar as he mounted Carwin, locked in an arm triangle, jumped to his right and Carwin was forced to tap. Next up is Cain Velasquezwho may face Lesnar at UFC 119 in Indianapolis in September. After that, the winner of Junior Dos Santos and Roy Nelson gets a shot at the title. If he gets by those two fights, then who?

It’s hard for me to imagine someone with the wrestling background and stand up skills to be able to beat Brock. Cain may be the right guy, but I fear he is too small. Dos Santos is likely to get taken down and pounded on and Big County probably isn’t athlete enough for Brock. After that, the UFC could throw Mir in there again – but I doubt that will go any different than UFC 100. Carwin will have to wait a while before he gets another shot at the title.

Fedor is an interested thought. If he can get a rematch with Fabricio Werdum ASAP and beat him, then Brock vs Fedor could be a huge draw. Again, I worry Fedor isn’t what he used to be. After Brett Rogers got him down and was pounding on him, I would hate to see what Lesnar could do.

Alistair Overeem is someone who could match the size and strength of Brock and he a great stand up game. Just not sure he has the wrestling and the chin to overcome Lesnar.

Time will tell if anyone can stop the current UFC heavyweight champion, but he looks to be in for a long run at the top.

]]>http://www.mmatraining.com/featured/can-anyone-stop-brock-lesnar/feed/4Things we learned over the weekendhttp://www.mmatraining.com/featured/things-we-learned-over-the-weekend-2/
http://www.mmatraining.com/featured/things-we-learned-over-the-weekend-2/#commentsMon, 06 Jul 2009 14:05:02 +0000http://www.mmatraining.com/?p=2314It was a slow weekend in MMA with no major cards headlining July 4th. Most of the build up is for this weekend’s UFC 100 which has garnered a significant amount of attention. After the weekend, here are my thoughts. 1. UFC 100 is getting the hype it deserves UFC 100 is less than a […]

It was a slow weekend in MMA with no major cards headlining July 4th. Most of the build up is for this weekend’s UFC 100 which has garnered a significant amount of attention. After the weekend, here are my thoughts.

1. UFC 100 is getting the hype it deserves

UFC 100 is less than a week away and we are seeing great countdown previews, all the media outlets counting down their top moments and Spike TV is running the top 100 UFC fights of all time. This is the type of coverage that the UFC deserves and it’s fitting that it took them 100 Pay Pay View events to achieve it. I can’t wait to see what this week has in store for pre fight hype.

2. Alves, Mir and Bisping might be good bets

The betting line for these three continues to show them as overwhelming underdogs and while I think their opponents should be favoured, some of the lines show them at 2 to 3 to 1 underdogs. These fights are a lot closer than that, so if you are playing the line and not the actual fight, some of these underdogs are worth a play.

3. Having no MMA on the weekend is terrible

Lately we’ve become accustomed to a big MMA event every weekend with the UFC, improvements in Strikeforce, Affliction every few months. This weekend had very little in terms of regional shows and no major shows. Maybe we needed a break this past weekend, since this upcoming one will be legendary.

]]>http://www.mmatraining.com/featured/things-we-learned-over-the-weekend-2/feed/0Winning TUF Ain’t What It Used To Behttp://www.mmatraining.com/featured/winning-tuf-aint-what-it-used-to-be/
http://www.mmatraining.com/featured/winning-tuf-aint-what-it-used-to-be/#commentsFri, 26 Jun 2009 02:55:18 +0000http://www.mmatraining.com/?p=2230With victories in The Ultimate Fighter Season 9 finale, Ross Pearson and James Wilks are most assuredly bound for title fights and UFC greatness, right? Well, if you look at the recent history of TUF winners you would likely conclude otherwise. In fact, there’s a nasty trend that has developed and these two fighters from […]

With victories in The Ultimate FighterSeason 9 finale, Ross Pearson and James Wilks are most assuredly bound for title fights and UFC greatness, right? Well, if you look at the recent history of TUF winners you would likely conclude otherwise. In fact, there’s a nasty trend that has developed and these two fighters from the UK will be focused on bringing it to an end.

Consider this. The first four seasons of TUF produced eight winners. Of them, three have won championship belts since their win on TUF (Forrest Griffin, Rashad Evans and Matt Serra), one has fought for a championship (Joe Stevenson) and one has blown a weigh in that would have been for a championship fight (the bonehead award goes to Travis Lutter, who might still be in the sauna).

Of course that leaves three chumps who accomplished nothing after TUF? Not exactly. Diego Sanchez is 9-2 since winning Season One and the “yes man” looks to be back in the title picture after his win over Clay Guida this past weekend. Kendall Grove is a respectable 4-2 and Michael Bisping is 6-1 and very much in the mix for a future title shot.

In four subsequent seasons (prior to Season 9), the five winners are a combined six wins, four losses and nothing that resembles a title fight. But these five winners haven’t had enough time to turn their TUF victories into a title shot you say? Season 5 dates back to June 2007 which means some of these fighters have had two full years to make their mark. Need I remind you that Brock Lesnar was fighting for a championship ten minutes after he first took off his wrestling boots?

So what’s the story and what possible lessons can we pass along to Pearson and Wilks?

Part of the problem has been the Clay Guida factor. Both Nate Diaz and Mac Danzig took losses at the hands (or maybe the hair?) of Guida, then followed that up with another loss. The UFC treats a single loss as a blip on the radar screen, but back to back losses are trends and it seems only legendary MMA fighters are guaranteed to fight meaningful fights after such a trend appears (see Chuck Liddell, Wanderlei Silva). If Guida is a trend starter, maybe Dana White keeps him out the way for future TUF winners? If you think that’s going to happen, you don’t know Dana White.

The second part of the story is injuries. The last three TUF winners (Amir Sadollah, Efrain Escudero and Ryan Bader) have produced the following results: no fights (injured), no fights (injured) and one fight for Bader-but of course-he was injured during his fight and now out 6 months! Injuries are a part of MMA and unfortunately for recent TUF winners, they seem more snake-bit than winners from the first few seasons. (Please note that none of the recent winners are actually out of action due to snake bites). If Pearson and Wilks can stay healthy, they’ve got a leg up on many.

While Dana White would like both of his newly crowned fighters to become champions, he would be satisfied if just one could break this streak. The odds might then favor Welterweight Wilks as there have been two Welterweight representatives to earn title fights (Stevenson and Serra), but no Lightweight winner has ever stood in the cage with a belt on the line, since Stevenson won a season of welterweights. Guida isn’t fighting at 170 lbs either, so another advantage for Wilks.

Much like American Idol, the UFC hopes that their fighters go on to long and successful careers after the show to lend legitimacy to the elimination style tournament. The UFC is hoping that they’ve found another Kelly Clarkson or Carrie Underwood to carry the flag for their franchise. God help us all if Pearson or Wilks turn out to be Ruben Studdard.

]]>http://www.mmatraining.com/featured/winning-tuf-aint-what-it-used-to-be/feed/4TUF Final Episode Sets Up a Great Finalehttp://www.mmatraining.com/featured/tuf-final-episode-sets-up-a-great-finale/
http://www.mmatraining.com/featured/tuf-final-episode-sets-up-a-great-finale/#commentsFri, 19 Jun 2009 13:15:06 +0000http://www.mmatraining.com/?p=2116Team USA Coach Dan Henderson has been a man of very few words throughout this season of The Ultimate Fighter. However, immediately following Frank Lester’s loss to Team UK’s James Wilks, Henderson summed up the situation perfectly for Lester; “You were worn out before you got there”. Lester has been the most interesting story […]

Team USA Coach Dan Henderson has been a man of very few words throughout this season of The Ultimate Fighter. However, immediately following Frank Lester’s loss to Team UK’s James Wilks, Henderson summed up the situation perfectly for Lester; “You were worn out before you got there”.

Lester has been the most interesting story on this year’s show both inside and outside the ring. He overcame the loss of four of his front teeth and a broken nose in his first fight against Wilks to defeat David Faulkner while fighting as an injury replacement for Jason Pierce. Prior to his fight with Faulkner, no one would have given Lester a chance to win if both he and Pierce were allowed in the cage at the same time, but somehow he found the will to beat Faulkner when the Brit refused to fight in the sudden victory round. Lester gave new meaning to the word “emotional” (and perhaps also to “scary”) and provided more entertainment value than any other fighter by far.

But after four fights in 32 days, Lester simply had nothing left for the semi-final bout and lost easily to a better fighter in Wilks. To no one’s surprise Lester’s emotions got the better of him the night before the fight where he cried in anticipation of letting people down, and then after his fight when he felt he had. Despite the loss, Lester has impressed UFC President Dana White who called him “one of the toughest guys he’s ever met” and I’d be very surprised if he doesn’t find himself fighting in the UFC very soon.

Wilks controlled the entire fight. He picked Lester apart with punches in the first two rounds, then kicks and knees in round 3, eventually ending the match by TKO with a devastating knee strike to Lester’s face. He seems to have the skills and the poise to give American Demarques Johnson a great fight in the final on June 20th. Johnson is no fan of Wilks and I’ll chalk it up to a case of “there’s just something about himitis”. Demarques said he can’t stand the “manneurisms” of his British opponent and you know you’re under someone’s skin when you cause them to invent words.

Wilks wasn’t the only Brit who managed to annoy his American opponent. Dan Henderson had some choice words for UK Coach Michael Bisping as it seems Henderson hasn’t taken too kindly to the pompous attitude of his British counterpart. Henderson didn’t mind having his ears compared to asparagus by Frank Lester earlier in the show, so you know it isn’t easy to upset him. Or perhaps, like me, Henderson didn’t quite follow where Lester was going with that. At any rate, there will be more interest in the Coaches’ Fight as a result.

I know that Dana White would have been pulling for a Johnson-Lester final, but Wilks is a better opponent for Demarques and now that this match it set Saturday looks like a night of fights worth watching.

]]>http://www.mmatraining.com/featured/tuf-final-episode-sets-up-a-great-finale/feed/0What We Learned From UFC 99 in Germanyhttp://www.mmatraining.com/featured/what-we-learned-from-ufc-99-in-germany/
http://www.mmatraining.com/featured/what-we-learned-from-ufc-99-in-germany/#commentsMon, 15 Jun 2009 11:00:04 +0000http://www.mmatraining.com/?p=2082Another weekend and another successful UFC in the books. UFC 99 from Cologne, Germany appeared to be a big hit for the 12,000 plus in attendance as the UFC went to Germany for the first time ever. Some items were learned from this weekend. 1. Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy is a smart man and a […]

Another weekend and another successful UFC in the books. UFC 99 from Cologne, Germany appeared to be a big hit for the 12,000 plus in attendance as the UFC went to Germany for the first time ever. Some items were learned from this weekend.

1. Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy is a smart man and a better fighter than most gave him credit for.

After weeks of trash talking back and forth between him and Marcus Davis, Hardy admitted days prior to UFC 99 that he was just trying to suck Davis into signing the contract and that “Marcus shouldn’t have signed to fight me. He should be fighting guys in the top 10. I thought if I called him out enough, he would sign.” Davis did and it worked. Hardy is also alot better than most were giving him credit for. He was strong on his feet and his ground game was impressive Saturday night. The decision could have gone either way, but Hardy got the nod this time. If he keeps improving he be will a top 10 guy before we know it. Someone better alert GSP of this master plan when Hardy starts making fun of the French.

2. Wanderlei Silva should not retire.

Silva put on an impressive performance against Rich Franklin Saturday night. It was another razor thin decision that could have gone his way, but it didn’t but that didn’t seem to matter. What mattered was that Silva put on a great show for the fans and he stood and banged it out with one of the best fighters in the history of the UFC. (Say what you want about Rich’s struggles against Anderson Silva, but he has been dominant against almost everyone else).

Silva showed a great chin, some of his usual aggression and if he can find a home at 185 lbs he still could be challenging for Anderson’s title sometime in the future.

The Axe Murderer isn’t done yet. Not by a long shot.

3. Terry Etim and Justin Buchholz is an early candidate for Fight of The Year.

The UFC is keeping with their tradition of awarding Fight of the Night to one of the more publicized fights, and accordingly, FOTY at UFC 99 was given to Franklin vs. Silva, but if you have a chance to watch Etim vs. Buchholz you’ll see a tremendous comeback by the Brit and a gutsy performance from both of them. Early Fight of the Year Candidate right there.

4. Pushing your opponent at the weigh ins = Bad Karma.

The weigh ins at UFC 99 were more heated than usual with two sets of stare downs ending with fighters being pushed. 5’11 Denis Stojnic decided he would push Stefan Struve, (who is a full foot taller than him standing at 6’11), which almost knocked Dana White off the stage. Next up was Roli Delgado and Paul Kelly. Kelly got too close to Delgado who decided that he too had seen enough and he shoved the shorter Brit away. Both Stojnic and Delgado lost Saturday night. Can someone tell these guys that pushing at the weigh ins will only lead to a possible injury and then no one gets paid? And Karma has turned it’s back on the ones that push as well.

]]>http://www.mmatraining.com/featured/what-we-learned-from-ufc-99-in-germany/feed/3TUF Semis: Thumb Suckers and Failed Game Planshttp://www.mmatraining.com/featured/tuf-semis-thumb-suckers-and-failed-game-plans/
http://www.mmatraining.com/featured/tuf-semis-thumb-suckers-and-failed-game-plans/#commentsFri, 12 Jun 2009 13:20:15 +0000http://www.mmatraining.com/?p=2042Once again, this week Mark Dennison brings us his unique and light look at The Ultimate Fighter show in a segment we call “Dennisons TUF Corner”. These fights are really starting to count. The Ultimate Fighter is now down to the semi-final matches to determine who fights for the title and that lucrative UFC contract. […]

Once again, this week Mark Dennison brings us his unique and light look at The Ultimate Fighter show in a segment we call “Dennisons TUF Corner”.

These fights are really starting to count. The Ultimate Fighter is now down to the semi-final matches to determine who fights for the title and that lucrative UFC contract. This week’s episode featured the four remaining Lightweight fighters and we were treated to one great fight and one…well, I’ll just say that the guy who sucks his thumb won that one.

That’s right, it was revealed that Team UK’s Andre Winner is a thumb sucker. While his teammates chided him for this unusual habit, Winner laughed and said “he’s cut down” on the frequency, as though that is somehow more acceptable. His opponent, American Cameron Dollar laughed and said “I can’t lose to a guy who sucks his thumb”.

Dollar’s coaches urged him to take the fight to the ground and try to avoid Winner’s impressive kicks and punches (and who wants to get hit by swollen, wet thumbs?). While the young American followed the advice, he was unable to execute his takedowns in Round 1 and the fight remained standing until late in the round. Unfortunately for Dollar, when the fight finally went to the ground he was quickly caught in a triangle choke and tapped out.

The other semi featured Team UK’s Ross Pearson and American Jason Dent. After Dent’s last fight, UFC President Dana White called Dent “unimpressive”. Dent claimed that he has been fighting “an intelligent fight”, but was aware that he had to bring more to the ring in this fight if he ever hopes to change White’s opinion and fight in the UFC.

Pearson looked to be in great shape, but we saw a painful moment when his shoulder popped out during training. He screamed for someone to pull his arm and allow the shoulder to go back in the socket. Coach Michael Bisping may have thought this was a ruse in line with “pull my finger” as he stood over his fighter for a very long time, doing nothing. Eventually, Pearson’s shoulder was back in place and he was once again the bulldog we’ve seen in all of his fights.

On the other hand, Dent did not appear to be in top shape. While both Dent and Pearson were in the kitchen, someone asked Pearson what he had eaten for breakfast (protein shake, some tea, and some fruit). No one asked Dent, but I suspect his answer may have been a Sausage McMuffin with Egg combo.

Both fighters seemed intent on out striking their opponent in Round 1 and it made for an entertaining round. Coach Dan Henderson was heard screaming repeatedly for Dent to “take him down” and Dent seemed to ignore him completely. The American was behind after one round and seemed to come out stronger and more actively in Round 2. Henderson yelled for “elbows” and again was ignored. Again, the round went to the Brit. The third and final round was another active affair with Pearson taking control when the fight went to the ground. Although the decision went to Team UK on all the judges’ scorecards, White seemed most impressed with Dent’s ability to bounce back and put on a better show in this fight. He noted the irony of being more impressed by a Dent loss than he had been in a Dent victory.

The Lightweight final will be an all UK affair. One more week and one final fight to go to see who makes it to the finals.

]]>http://www.mmatraining.com/featured/tuf-semis-thumb-suckers-and-failed-game-plans/feed/2TUF Wrap Up: Johnson & Osipczak Put on a Classichttp://www.mmatraining.com/featured/tuf-wrap-up-johnson-osipczak-put-on-a-classic/
http://www.mmatraining.com/featured/tuf-wrap-up-johnson-osipczak-put-on-a-classic/#commentsSat, 06 Jun 2009 00:49:15 +0000http://www.mmatraining.com/?p=1964Everyone is going to be talking about it. No, this week’s bout between Demarques Johnson and Nick Osipczak on The Ultimate Fighter was not a classic fight. In the end, it wasn’t even a close fight. But, for 20 seconds, viewers saw one of the most exciting exchanges they will ever see, which left […]

No, this week’s bout between Demarques Johnson and Nick Osipczak on The Ultimate Fighter was not a classic fight. In the end, it wasn’t even a close fight. But, for 20 seconds, viewers saw one of the most exciting exchanges they will ever see, which left UFC President Dana White open mouthed and shocked.

With last week’s departure of Team UK’s Dave Faulkner, some would suggest that Johnson is now the best fighter remaining on the show. Prior to his fight, Johnson stated as much himself and added that he intended to “hurt Osipczak’s feelings”.

Team UK received a scouting report on Johnson from one of his American teammates (more on that later) which said that Osipczak should focus on his takedown defenses if he hoped to keep his feelings intact. While he certainly took the advice to heart, he was unable to thwart any of his training partners as they took him down at will and it seemed Osipczak was destined to be on his back for most of his fight.

The first round went mostly according to plan as Johnson took the fight to the ground and controlled Osipczak until the final minute. When the fight returned to standing, the Brit stunned Johnson with a heavy punch to the head, sending him backwards. Osipczak hunted him down and landed many more devastating blows and it appeared only a matter of time before Johnson would go down and stay down. Though badly hurt, Johnson somehow answered the assault with punches of his own, any one of which could have ended the fight in his favor. As the two fighters stood toe to toe, throwing everything they had with each punch, the fighters from both teams at ringside cheered wildly at what they were seeing. When the bell sounded, though it seemed impossible, both men had survived the round.

The American dominated the second round, putting Osipczak on the ground early and never allowing him to get to his feet. As Johnson pounded on his opponent, Team UK Coach Michael Bisping was heard shouting “You can’t lie there and do nothing Nick”, which was exactly what his fighter was doing. At the end of the round, Bisping and the other coaches scraped Osipczak off the canvas like a piece of road kill and carried him back to their corner. At that point Nick likely thought he was being taken for an ice cream cone instead of another round of punishment from Johnson. The American was simply too much for Osipczak in the third round and the Brit could do nothing to change the outcome, losing the fight in a unanimous decision.

In the night’s most controversial moment, American Jason Pierce was seen secretly providing information about Johnson to Team UK. Fellow American Richie Whitson reported the treason to their coach Dan Henderson, but Pierce flatly denied he had done any such thing when confronted. I suspect future episodes will show Pierce going through his teammates’ wallets and possibly contacting their girlfriends, but that will have to wait another week.

]]>http://www.mmatraining.com/featured/tuf-wrap-up-johnson-osipczak-put-on-a-classic/feed/0Shogun vs. Machida Makes Dollars and Sensehttp://www.mmatraining.com/uncategorized/shogun-vs-machida-makes-dollars-and-sense/
http://www.mmatraining.com/uncategorized/shogun-vs-machida-makes-dollars-and-sense/#commentsMon, 01 Jun 2009 13:11:27 +0000http://www.mmatraining.com/?p=1914Last week the idea floating around was that the next 205 lbs title shot wouldn’t go to the man who claimed he desperately wanted his belt back, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. Instead Rampage will coach TUF 10 against Rashad Evans and face the former champion at season’s end. The next title shot will go to former […]

Last week the idea floating around was that the next 205 lbs title shot wouldn’t go to the man who claimed he desperately wanted his belt back, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. Instead Rampage will coach TUF 10 against Rashad Evans and face the former champion at season’s end. The next title shot will go to former Pride superstar Shogun Rua. Many wondered if Rampage was ducking Machida after watching his dismantling of Rashad Evans from cageside at UFC 98. Regardless how you interpret Rampage’s new found lost desire for the belt, having Shogun fight for the belt makes the most money for the UFC and all the fighters involved.

The UFC believes Machida will hold the title for a long time, something the 205 lbs division severely lacks. As much as having a new title holder every few months creates new stars within the division, the game of UFC title hot potato eventually loses some steam and gives the impression that anyone can win the belt on any given day. Machida is here to solve that problem and the UFC is banking on it.

Rampage vs. Evans will be a huge money maker. The two got face to face after the main event at UFC 96 have expressed their dislike for one another recently. They will have plenty of time to hype their fight on Season 10 of TUF, where they will squabble and bicker as opposite coaches on their way to a ratings success. It’s also the fight most fans want to see, and the momentum would be lost if Rampage would face Machida first and suffer the same fate Evans did last week.

Solution? Bring in Shogun to face the undefeated champion. Some fans questioned how Shogun was deserving of a title shot so early in his UFC career. Those same fans should be reminded that Shogun was the number 1 fighter in the world before coming to the UFC, has won 2 of 3 in the UFC, looked impressive in his last fight with Chuck Liddell and most importantly – there is no one else that makes any sense right now.

The UFC will throw an unprepared Shogun in with Machida and whatever the outcome, they still have a gigantic fight between Rampage and Evans. The winner of Rampage and Evans fights for the title for another huge fight. Any other scenario the UFC is cheating themselves and the fighters out of bigger pay days.

The UFC is a business just like anything else and as much as Rampage “Want my belt back!” it sounds like he wants his pay day just a little bit more. So does the UFC and no one will blame them for that.

]]>http://www.mmatraining.com/uncategorized/shogun-vs-machida-makes-dollars-and-sense/feed/2Lester Shows His Heart Once Againhttp://www.mmatraining.com/featured/lester-shows-his-heart-once-again/
http://www.mmatraining.com/featured/lester-shows-his-heart-once-again/#commentsSat, 30 May 2009 20:54:11 +0000http://www.mmatraining.com/?p=1908For weeks, on The Ultimate Fighter, we’ve heard that Dave Faulkner is the best fighter on Team UK. We’ve watched as Jason Pierce drummed up excuse after excuse to avoid fighting the dangerous Brit, eventually getting his wish at the end of last week’s episode. No one on Team USA would stand a chance against […]

For weeks, on The Ultimate Fighter, we’ve heard that Dave Faulkner is the best fighter on Team UK. We’ve watched as Jason Pierce drummed up excuse after excuse to avoid fighting the dangerous Brit, eventually getting his wish at the end of last week’s episode. No one on Team USA would stand a chance against Faulkner and perhaps no one would be foolish enough to take on the challenge.

Frank Lester was days removed from his last fight which knocked out all of his top, front teeth and severely injured his nose. Never lacking for courage, he convinced White that he was healthy enough and more than willing to take the fight against Faulkner as a substitute for Pierce. Lester was clearly the lamb being led to slaughter. There was only one problem-someone forgot to tell Lester that he was supposed to lose.

Perhaps Faulkner was surprised that Lester didn’t enter the cage wearing a white flag or perhaps his pre-fight hypnosis treatment made him believe he was a ring-tailed lemur. Whatever the reason, Faulkner did not destroy Lester in Round 1 as everyone would have had us believe. Faulkner was the aggressor, but Lester’s wounded face stood up to some brutal shots and he survived to fight a second round.

In Round 2 Lester took charge and won the round to force a sudden victory extra round. In a shocking turn of events Faulkner told his corner that he could not fight another round. They implored him to reconsider, telling him he would “regret this decision the rest of his life”, but he stood his ground and declared that he was done.

Had Lester then climbed the cage and yelled “Adrian”, I would think no one would have been surprised. The real surprise however was Faulkner’s reaction after the fight. While his coaches consoled their fighter, Faulkner declared that he “really enjoyed” the fight. He repeated this odd refrain several times and seemed so pleased with his decision to quit that coach Michael Bisping needed to leave the room before his disgust for Faulkner became obvious. I doubt that Faulkner can recover after such a complete meltdown and the fighter himself seemed aware in his post-fight interview that he may be wise to consider a career change at this point. Maybe there’s a market for ex-fighters with Mohawks with chronic problems with their gag reflex? Well, at least when this recession ends.

Lester was overjoyed that he is now “one step closer to being an official bad ass”. Given his behavior in previous shows, one also hopes he is one step farther away from being an official nut case. Say what you want though about Lester, the kid has heart.

]]>http://www.mmatraining.com/featured/lester-shows-his-heart-once-again/feed/1Nacho Librehttp://www.mmatraining.com/featured/nacho-libre/
http://www.mmatraining.com/featured/nacho-libre/#commentsFri, 22 May 2009 15:20:32 +0000http://www.mmatraining.com/?p=1880I’d like to report that this week’s episode of The Ultimate Fighter featured two exciting bouts between willing combatants. I’d like to say that the action outside the ring was entertaining, but in no way compared to the drama inside the octagon. Unfortunately, I can’t say any of this, but can however write that there […]

I’d like to report that this week’s episode of The Ultimate Fighter featured two exciting bouts between willing combatants. I’d like to say that the action outside the ring was entertaining, but in no way compared to the drama inside the octagon. Unfortunately, I can’t say any of this, but can however write that there was much more Mexican wrestling than I expected when I tuned in.

What?

Well, the show was supposed to include the postponed match between team UK’s Dave Faulkner and Team USA’s Jason Pierce. In the previous episode Faulkner injured himself and Pierce was just injured. While Faulkner appeared fully healed, his latest issue is his inability to fight while wearing his “gum shield”, as it triggers his gag reflex. I doubt I was the only one watching who wondered how anyone gets this far in MMA with a problem like that!? Coach Michael Bisping was so concerned with this turn of events he barely remembered to end each sentence with “you know what I mean?” The preview for next week’s episode revealed that Faulkner will see a hypnotist to deal with this problem. Perhaps Frank Lester will someday hear back from his HMO about coverage for his psychosis, but not apparently anytime next week.

The combination of Pierce’s injured leg (“staph infection”) and his chronic complaining about the injury caused Dana White to confront the fighter and ask him if his heart was really into his scheduled bout. Pierce failed to convince the UFC President that he could continue and White had the tough job of informing Pierce that he would not fight on TUF. I predict that Pierce will now stick around the house for the remaining weeks like a bad smell and do nothing but cause aggravation for his teammates.

In a truly bizarre scene, Team UK somehow sourced enough full head masks to put on their own wrestling routine involving most members of the team. Those who were without masks wore latex gloves worn on their heads and one fighter appeared to have a pig snout and ears, possibly home made. The main event concluded with two fighters flying backwards off the pool’s diving board in a “suplex” and one of them, Dean Amasinger, being hit in the face with what may or may not have been a bucket of pool chemicals. You can’t make this stuff up folks.

In the night’s only real fight, Team USA’s Jason Dent took on Team UK’s Jeff Lawson in a lightweight contest. Lawson said prior to his fight that his strategy is always the same, “throw a few punches, throw my opponent really hard and take him out with an arm bar”. For reasons unknown, his actual strategy was as follows: do none of those things and run out of gas in the second round, eventually finding yourself in an anaconda choke and losing. Dent was less than impressive in victory and drew heavy criticism from Dana White after his bout. I’m not sure if White would have been more impressed if Dent had worn a wrestling mask or hit Lawson with a folding chair, but it probably wouldn’t have hurt.